Tamil scholar left high and dry

Chennai: A Tamil scholar, who joined the Tamil development department with high hopes of making a contribution, was forced to run from pillar to post to get the promotion due to him and spent so many days attending the court that when the Supreme Court finally ordered the government to promote him, it was time for him to retire.

R. Ramasamy, now aged 65, said, “I joined the Tamil culture department in 1979 as a project director. I obtained a Ph.D in history and archaeology based on research on Tamil inscription and literature. One of my juniors in the department, named Selvaraj, was promoted as assistant director in December 1979 when the promotion was due to me. He was made director in 2003 ignoring my seniority. I approached the TN Administrative Tribunal (TNAT), and was shuttled between various courts to prove how I was denied promotions and amenities meant for me as per the rule book.”

As TNAT ruled in 1989 that Ramasamy could be promoted as assistant director, he moved the Supreme Court, as he should have been given the post of director. The state government made him deputy director instead in 1992, based on orders from the apex court. The officer’s struggle  to get the director’s post continued as the government moved the TNAT in 1992, saying that Ramasamy could not be promoted.

When TNAT rejected the petition, the State government dragged Ramasamy to the Madras high court where the judgment went in his favour: that he should be promoted as director, but the government’s delay tactics continued.

“In 2006, I retired from service at the age of 58 without becoming a director. The government is not ready to provide the retirement benefits for the director’s post. The petition is with the Supreme Court now,” said Ramasamy.